Techbargains Reviews

Ever have a need for an extra monitor for your laptop and think to yourself, "Man, if my monitor wasn't so big and bulky I would bring it with me." Well, now you can. The On-Lap 1302 is lightweight, and less than an inch wide. It has a 13 inch screen and has the makings of a great portable monitor. It can be used for a lot more than just an extra laptop monitor though -- the 1302 can be hooked up to a PS3 or XBOX 360 as well as a digital camera or smartphone. Can something that sounds so good, be true? Let's find out.

Main Features:

USB 2.0 power (5V - 1.0A)

13.3" TFT LCD (16:9) LED Backlight

1366x768 native resolution

Low Power

VGA, HDMI

Windows 7 and Mac compatible

Made for game console, smartphone, laptop, digital camera

Vertical display feature

What We Liked:

Installation: The monitor is plug and play. Plug it in, give Windows a few seconds to find it and you are off. The setup of the base and braces are easy and require little effort. It almost reminds me of making my own Transformer. There are so many ways to put the base together to accomplish different angles of viewing as well as different heights for the monitor.

Thickness: The On-Lap 1302 is very thin. I was surprised when I opened the box to see just how thin it was. It will fit into a laptop bag very easily and would not be a burden. The 1302 is only 8mm thick and weighs in at a lofty 1.4 lbs. It is screen is larger than a tablet and weighs about the same.

Gaming Systems: Both the XBOX 360 and PS3 work great with the monitor. As long as the gaming system you are using has a USB port and VGA or HDMI you have yourself an all-in-one portable gaming solution. You could tote this anywhere and not have to worry about your destination having a monitor. It would be just that easy to take with you.

What We Didn't Like:

Slow Menu: While I was setting up the monitor, I decided to browse the menu system to look at the options. It took a long time to figure out I was touching the buttons to quickly and not waiting for the menu to come up. I could click a button and then would have to wait a second or two before the menu would pop up. I stepped back and just pressed the gear button (configuration button) and waited ... finally it came up. I then touched the up or down arrows and had to wait for another second for it to change the options on the menu. It just seems to me that something like that would be instantaneous like other monitors.

Flimsy Base: I will hand it to GeChic for having a very versatile base. One small problem -- It is very flimsy. Pressure applied to the monitor (from a bump or readjustment) could easily send the monitor crashing from its perch. If you are hoping to put it up on its highest shelf setting, make sure that the back of the monitor is resting against a wall because the supports are weak and you could easily have a broken screen soon. The upside is that the base is covered in a rubberized molding. It feels nice at least.

Attaching Other Devices: This would have been a great idea, if the monitor had come with everything required to make it as versatile as it states. Trying to hook up digital cameras and smart phones requires an additional USB power outlet and a mini HDMI to regular female HDMI connector. For the iPhone, a digital AV adapter will need to be purchased. The same goes for the Samsung Galaxy SII. An MHL connector will need to be purchased as well as a USB power source. My biggest beef here is that they don't state clearly that you will need added accessories to do some of the things they say the monitor can accomplish. The setup to work with gaming systems are the only things that will not need added accessories. The cables that come with the 1302 will suffice.

Display: While the 1302 performed well with the XBOX 360, as far as picture quality, the laptop test was not as lucky. The display on the On-Lap 1302 was slightly blurry and had an unpolished look when compared to other USB monitors. We recently reviewed AOC's USB monitor and found it to be a crisper, clearer image. Native resolution for the 1302 is 1366x768, 16:9 screen which is good, but for whatever reason the image quality paired with a laptop was not what I expected. I tried a couple laptops just in case it did not like the resolution to no avail. I suppose it could have been the VGA vs. the HDMI that made the difference but I cannot confirm that as I do not have a laptop with HDMI to test.

Our Verdict:

The idea behind this monitor is very good. One monitor to rule them all, devices that is. Being able to hookup multiple devices to a portable monitor could be a great asset. Unfortunately it was just poorly executed. The need for additional accessories makes this a less viable solution with a price tag of $199. You could be looking at a $250 investment after buying the additional accessories to make it work with your digital camera or smartphone. If this was solely used for a gaming system then I could see someone buying this and being happy. It did very well with an XBOX 360 attached. Unfortunately, the display was blurrier than I would like to see in an LCD screen paired with a laptop. The menu was very tricky to get to pop up on the screen. It took a while to find the sweet spot and then the right amount of pressure to apply to have the menu appear. The base was another issue because It was flimsy: flimsy to the point where I did not feel safe putting it on the upper shelf. One of the configurations for the base includes a smartphone on the bottom shelf and the monitor on the upper shelf. I would not recommend doing that. It could be a $199 catastrophe. Bottom line, it was good for gaming systems and smartphones if you had the added cables, but not as good for laptops.